Leader Enterprise - Feb. 2011

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s my favorite holiday. Some may say that Valentine’s Day is a gimmick for card companies, but I believe it’s a wonderful opportunity to let the special people in your life know you care. While most tend to think it’s just about romantic love, I think if you consider these ideas,they can help build any meaningful relationship.


Author Gary Chapman has written “The Five Love Languages” which has sold more than 1.5 million copies. These are a few of his thoughts about what he believes are the ways we communicate the depth of our affections to others.

1. “GIFTS: A gift is a physical symbol that the giver is thinking about you. A gift doesn’t have to be expensive. People have always said that it’s the thought that counts. But I remind couples it’s not the thought left in your head that counts; it’s the gift that came out of the thought in your head.

2. ACTS OF SERVICE: Do something. This love language is cooking meals, washing dishes, washing cars,taking out the trash. It’s doing anything that you know your spouse would like for you to do (for them). Learn to speak through acts of service.

3. WORDS OF AFFIRMATION: Another way to express love is to use words that affirm:”You look nice in that dress” “You look sharp in that shirt”.”I really appreciate what you did yesterday”.

4. QUALITY TIME: Quality time is not sitting in the same room watching tv. Take a walk or go out to eat, just the two of you,and talk. When you give quality time, you’re focusing on him or her. Maybe you are doing something that both of you like to do, but your focus is on being together, not on the activity itself.

5. PHYSICAL TOUCH: We’ve long known the power of physical touch:holding hands, embracing in an affirming way.



Once you discover which love language makes that special someone feel loved, then choose to learn to ‘speak’ that language.



Learning a second language is difficult. If you speak English, learning Spanish is difficult. If you speak Spanish,learning English is difficult-but you can do it.”



I can’t think of Valentine’s Day without thinking/dreaming about chocolate! Most of us think of enjoying chocolate as a guilty pleasure. If you haven’t heard that dark chocolate can be good for you, keep reading.



There is a great deal of scientific evidence that chocolate–particularly dark chocolate high in cocoa–is good for you. According to a new study ,small doses(1 ounce)of dark chocolate every day could decrease your risk of heart attack or stroke by 40%.



Now don’t think that means inhaling a few candy bars for the sake of your health. Beware of any chocolate bar that lists sugar as the first ingredient. Read labels-the darker chocolate with the higher cocoa concentration has the most benefits. People hoping to benefit from chocolate’s heart healthy effects should cut out other snacks and sweets. Eating too much chocolate will have negative effects that far outweigh the positive effects of cocoa.



I hope you’ll enjoy this fabulous new recipe with 5 simple ingredients.It’s good enough to serve company.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BARS

1-18 ozs.box german chocolate cake mix
2/3 c.cold butter,cut into pieces
1 c.semisweet chocolate chips
1-15 ozs.tub prepared coconut-pecan frosting
1/4 c.milk

Preheat oven to 350.Grease 9”X13”baking dish. Place cake mix in medium bowl; cut butter in until crumbly(A pastry blender works nicely). Press 2-1/2 c. mixture into prepared dish. Bake 10 minutes;immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Drop frosting by tablespoonsful over chocolate chips. Stir milk into remaining crumb mixture; drop by teaspoonsful over top. Carefully spread with back of spoon to smooth. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly around edges and top is cracked. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate 3 hours before cutting. Yield:4 dozen.

MINI BROWNIE TREATS

1-18 ozs. box fudge brownie mix (9” X 13” size)
48 striped chocolate kisses,unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for fudge-like brownies. Fill paper-lined miniature muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18-21 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 1 minute,then top each with a chocolate kiss. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks to cool completely.Yield:4 dozen.

Be sure to take time to tell someone you love them. Our tomorrows are not guaranteed.

German Chocolate Bars

WELCOME FEBRUARY!!

Thought I'd share the page from the calendar my dear FL cousin Vanessa sent me a while back - it's sooo cute! I love what it says...

It's time to.....THINK CHOCOLATE!

I've been anxiously saving this recipe to share in February!

This would be great to serve for a Valentine's Day dinner.  For company even!

Only FIVE ingredients for this easy and totally delicious recipe!!

It's Ooey Gooey too - which I love.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BARS

1 - 18 ozs. box german chocolate cake mix

2/3 c. cold butter

1 c. (6 ozs) semisweet chocolate chips

1 (15 ozs) can coconut-pecan frosting

1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350. Place cake mix in bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. {I like using my pastry blender for this step). Press 2-1/2 c. into greased 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes; immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Drop frosting by tablespoonsful over the chips.  Stir milk into the remaining crumb mixture; drop by teaspoonsful over top. (I smoothed the dough a bit with the back of a spoon first, but it isn't necessary). Bake 25 - 30 minutes longer or until bubbly around the edges and top is cracked.  Cool on wire rack.  Refrigerate for 4 hours before cutting. Yield: about 20

(Be careful not to overbake.  I took mine out of the oven after 25 minutes.)

The first time I made this, I cut it warm and we enjoyed it with ice cream.  It's rich and very yummy-licious!

FYI:  For those of you who have joined me because I 'do' healthy foods...please

stay with me.  With all my husbands health issues and dietary needs, and the fact

that I'm trying to drop a few pounds before a vacation in May, I will continue with healthy eating recipe ideas. 

BUT...I do believe a splurge is good for you now and again and this is one of those kinds of posts. 

So please hang with me and stay tuned for more healthy eating....

BON APPETIT!

This post has been linked to Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies

 Mandy's Recipe Box , A Holiday Haven & Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Meal Plan Monday Ingredient Spotlight: Coconut

Mix it up Monday
Ingredient Spotlight - Chocolate
Weekend Potluck

Easy 6 Can (Very Lowfat) Chicken Tortilla Soup

Since this is the last day of January - and of National Soup Month - I thought I'd 'slip' this repost in...with different pictures.  I just made this again this weekend and don't ever get tired of it.

This quick and easy soup is listed in the 'lighter choices' in my cookbook under soups/salads.

Since I've been posting some sweet recipes, I thought I would share a  favorite low fat recipe.  Soup always makes for a delicious meal - especially in the fall...or in the winter.   We love this one and enjoy it often.   It's a quick meal for busy families.

It only takes a few ingredients and I always keep these on hand so when I get hungry for this quick and easy soup - I'm rarin' to go!

REFRIED BEAN SOUP

chopped celery and onion to taste

2 Tb. olive oil

1-15 oz. can refried beans

1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 - 8 - oz. jar salsa or 10 oz. can of rotel tomatoes, drained

1 - 15 oz. can 99% fat free chicken broth

1 -15 oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 - 10-oz. can chunk chicken

(or fresh cooked)

Sautee celery and onion in oil. The veggies add a nice crunch and add nutrition. I use as many low-sodium or lowfat ingredients as possible.

Stir in refried beans first, then

gradually add broth.

Add remaining ingredients; stir and heat.

(I drained the beans in this darling mini colander - a fun gift from a sister of my heart, Lois.

She's the one who gave me this recipe a few years ago.  It's one of the most repeated recipes in my kitchen.)

Or if you're in a hurry, just mix all six canned ingredients in a large saucepan in order given and heat through.

This tasty dish is low in fat - and has 49 grams of fiber - total - in this recipe!!

1 c. = Calories: 160; fat: 3 gr.;fiber:7 gr.

It is wonderful with a grilled sandwich,  quesadilla or tortilla chips.

Enjoy every slurp!

Linked to Tuesdays at the Table
          Recipe of the Week

A fun and busy time at Nana's - Brownie Crackles and Baking Cup Flowers

Want to share a fun afternoon I recently enjoyed with two of my granddaughters...

Chloe (nearly 10) & Charlie (almost 12) live only a couple of blocks away, so it's fairly easy for us to get together, and we enjoy a fun time in the kitchen together.


They had a day off school, so I brought them here to help me, and help me they did!! 


I had mixed up some dough in the breadmaker (dough setting) earlier in the day, and they did a super job rolling it into balls, then ropes, then tying them into knots. It was their first experience doing anything with bread dough, and I thought they did great.  

OK - maybe they were having just a bit too much fun posing for the picture!   

Silly girls!!!!!


We truly love living up to our BAKER name! *-*

While the rolls were rising,  we mixed up cookies using a brownie mix.  They were a little messy, but oh so tasty.  This recipe will be at the end of this post, along with the dough for the rolls too.  ('final' pictures also)

In between baking times, we made some adorable paper baking cup flowers.  We used tootsie pops for the center of the 'flowers' and they were cute as can be. The girls went into their 'assembly line' mode and I was amazed at how quickly these went together. 

I made the leaves and that was the most difficult part, but not really that difficult.

credit: Skip to My Lou

Instructions can be found here at Skip to My Lou.

Cindy has tons of creative and frugal craft ideas there -

please take time to check her out.  There are great ideas for homemade gift giving, holidays and getting the kids involved.

The girls also played a new game that my family had enjoyed playing at my recent sibling get-together.

(Charlie is a redhead, but with the light shining above her, she looks blonde?)

Now Chloe REALLY is a blondie =)

We layed pencils, one at a time (though 2 at a time is even more challenging), on a table.  They would pick one up - balance it on the backs of their hands, toss it up and catch it, then add the next pencil.  They were determined to work at it, and they both ended up being able to catch 7 pencils at a time.  Pretty good I'd say!

But we had pencils flying everywhere a few times - it was fun to watch.

It is a great game for young kids...and adults.

This is the picture taken at the end of our afternoon together - quite productive, huh?

TEAM WORK!!

How thankful I am to have Nana times like this with family making memories to cherish a lifetime!  I trust this is a legacy I am leaving for them...

for all my family.

I was thrilled to send some of these goodies home with the girls so we didn't feel pressured to eat them all ourselves.

(Tidbit: When our firstborn granddaughter, (redheaded) Ashtyn McCrae (who is 16 & driving - on the road even! - was learning to talk, I could NOT wait for her to learn to say G-R-A-N-D-M-A (as I called both my grandmothers) so we went with the shortened version, and it wasn't long and she could say "Nana"...oh what music to my ears!  Now - both my dau-in-loves and their extended family members, all call me Nana...and I am blessed. (As I wipe a tear from my eye just typing that up=)

And while we're on the subject...just so you know and you can anticipate with me, our daughter Deb is due very soon with child #3 (grandchild #8 & grandson #3 for Papa & me).  Her due date is March 12, but the little guy (redhead?) isn't going to wait that long and will be a February baby. So if I'm gone from here for a while, I'll be at my daughter's, getting acquainted with Mr. Taylor, and cooking up some things for her freezer.

OK - Back to the kitchen...(kinda)

This cookie recipe is in my cookbook.

(Have I mentioned how MUCH I love having these favorite recipes right at hand?  What a joy that is for me!  I no longer have to search high and low to find the recipe from the last time I used it. Little did I realize what a favor I was doing for myself as I began to type up the 300 recipes in my cookbook!) 

WHEWIE!

BROWNIE CRACKLES

1 (19 ozs) box fudge brownie mix

(9" X 13" size)

1 c. all purpose flour

1 egg

1/3 c. water

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 (6 ozs) bag semisweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet. In large mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, flour, egg, water and oil; mix well. Stir in choco chips. Place powdered sugar in shallow dish; drop dough by tablespoonsful into sugar; roll to coat.  Place 2" apart and bake 8 - 10 minutes or until set.  Remove to rack to cool.  Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.

These are great with vanilla chips too!

EASY YEAST ROLLS

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

(I made 1/2 batch in the breadmaker)

2 pkg. (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast

(one pkg. is = 2-1/4 tsp.)

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

(I blended it, then used half)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tsp. salt (I used less)

6 - 6-1/2 c. all purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm (not hot) water.  Add the sugar, egg, oil, salt and 4 cups flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide into four portions.  Shape each portion into 12 balls.  To form knots, roll each ball into an 8-in. rope; tie into a knot.  Tuck ends under.  Place rolls 2" apart on greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 - 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Spread butter over top while still hot. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen

Nutrition Facts: 1 roll = 78 calories, 1 gr. fat, 4 mg. cholesterol, 100 mg. sodium, 14 gr carbs, trace fiber; 2 gr. protein

I think it's time for a nap - I'm worn out from just reading about this busy time

Enjoy a lovely weekend!

Baked Oatmeal - WW style

Another healthy and delicious recipe for you to try...from my cookbook.  I just had to include this enjoyable dish.

If you don't make any changes to the recipe, it's only 2 Weight Watchers points for each good-sized serving.

I love a bowl of oatmeal anytime of the day..but since I was recently told my cholesterol is a bit high....I am eating more oatmeal than usual to try to bring it down.  I don't take any RX drugs and I don't want to start, if I can help it.

This is an easy dish to put together on the weekend for the week ahead.  Then your breakfast is all ready for you.

It only takes a few everyday ingredients...

I had some apples that needed to be eaten, so I chopped them and added them to the oatmeal, along with some raisins. 

My grandma always plumped raisins for our oatmeal when she came to visit, and it's something that has stuck with me.

I even order raisins for my oatmeal when we eat out. I also love toast with my oatmeal too.

Soooo give it a whirl (or a whisk=) and let me know what you think, or if you have any ideas for options.  Adding any dried/fresh fruit would be good too, but of course, would change the WW points for each serving. 

This is a picture of my first helping - I enjoyed it with a little bit of leftover eggnog. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!  *-*

BAKED OATMEAL

2 c. dry oatmeal, uncooked

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 - 1/2 c. sugar of Splenda (I used part brown sugar Splenda as I like the richness it adds)

1 c. fat free skim milk

1/2 c. Egg Beaters (or use egg whites) (I used 3 extra large egg whites)

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract or maple flavoring (I used 2 Tb. sugar free pancake syrup)

1 Tb. ground cinnamon (can use part nutmeg if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8" square baking dish with cooking spray. In large (or medium) bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In another bowl, combine wet ingredients, then stir the two together.   Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes.  Yield: 6 servings

Serve warm with milk or cream.

Linked to Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

Recipe of the Week
Weekend Potluck